230 MPG!

As the Chevy Volt seems poised to usher in a new era in automotion.  A couple of questions come to mind.

1)  How serious are we about electric autos?

2) How should we define zero emissions?

3) What about power shortage issues seen in places like California in recent years?

While there has been a lot focus on electric vehicles and getting off our dependence on foreign oil, I wonder if we’re losing sight of the big picture.  Namely, energy is still energy, and isn’t free.  It isn’t magically created by electrical outlets.  Anyone who’s had to deal with rolling blackouts or pay exorbinate energy bills knows that.  Plenty of electricity is generated by burning oil and coal.  Is that zero emission?  What of the dead battery waste?  I’m not sure I get it.  I’d like to see some analysis on this.  I get why electric vehicles seem to be rising to the forefront.  Infrastructure.  It won’t be difficult to leverage existing infrastructures to provide energy for these vehicles, whereas hydrogen fuel cells is another matter altogether (not to mention they’re reliance on electricity to recharge the cells).  It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out.  Racing has always been an excellent force in automotive innovation and we’re headed that way with electric vehicles.  Can you imagine an electric NASCAR race?  Nearly silent cars circling for 40-50 miles!  I wonder how the fans will react.